Paradoxically, the high activity at elevated temperatures, which makes many transition metal catalyst systems so attractive, is also responsible for a negative characteristic. This deficiency exhibits itself in the form of a kinetic profile, which can be described as "autoacceleration", and leads to processes, which are, in effect, out of control; processes in which the reactants are "over-reactive"; agglomeration of particulate product; and other various undesirable results such as hot-spotting, chunking, and sheeting.
Autoacceleration can be defined as an abrupt increase in the reaction rate of a process to an undesirable level due to a sudden rise in temperature. In effect, the system is unable to remove the heat as fast as it is generated. Control of this behavior is essential for the smooth operation of the process in the reactor. The usual response to a reactor upset caused by autoacceleration is to have the operator initiate a reactor kill by the rapid injection of a catalyst poison. The initiation of such a drastic measure is made at the discretion of the operator, and depends entirely on his judgment as to the performance of the catalyst in the reactor.
To relieve the operator of the responsibility for making this decision, which, at least in part, tends to be subjective, in-situ control of catalyst kinetics has been suggested, the goal being to let the catalyst monitor its own behavior.